In the 1994 NCAA Tournament, UCLA was upset by Tulsa in the first round. In 1995, the Bruins returned motivated and became the first UCLA team to win the national championship in 20 years—since John Wooden’s last title.

It was led by a trio of senior stars: forward Ed O’Bannon, center George Zidek and guard Tyus Edney, who provided the leadership that propelled the team to a 32-1 record, including a 19-game winning streak to end the season.

O’Bannon, who won numerous player of the year awards, had a versatile game no one could stop—he led UCLA in scoring, rebounding, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Edney was small but fast and aggressive in pushing the ball up the floor. Zidek, a 7-footer, manned the interior.

The rotation went only seven deep, and that nearly cost the team the championship.

In the Final Four win over Oklahoma State, Edney injured his wrist and he played only a few minutes against Arkansas in the title game. There were fears that using so few players would hurt the Bruins against the Hogs’ famed "40 Minutes of Hell" defense, but thanks to the team’s overall excellent condition, strong play from backup point guard Cameron Dollar and an outstanding game by O’Bannon, UCLA finished its championship run with an 11-point win.

The go-to guy

O’Bannon. Seattle University coach and former UCLA guard Cameron Dollar says: “Ed was a warrior that gave everything he had every night. He played with so much fire and determination. Most importantly, he set the standard for our team being unselfish and together. You knew wholeheartedly all he wanted to do was win.”

The rotation

F Ed O’Bannon: 6-8, Sr., 20.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.5 apg

PG Tyus Edney: 5-10, Sr., 14.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.8 apg

F Charles O’Bannon: 6-5, Soph., 13.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.3 apg

C George Zidek: 7-0, Sr., 10.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg

G Toby Bailey: 6-5, Fr., 10.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.9 apg

F J.R. Henderson: 6-8, Fr., 9.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg

G Cameron Dollar: 5-11, Soph., 3.4 ppg, 3.1 apg

The defining number

5—Number of players who averaged double digits in scoring, and a sixth averaged 9.2. Though O’Bannon was the obvious star, he wasn’t the only source of offense.

The legacy

Although this UCLA team brought another championship—the program’s 11th, already the most in history—that’s not what people remember about this squad. Its legacy forever will be tied to Edney’s game-winner against Missouri. Though it came in the second round and UCLA won four more games after that, it is one of the most famous plays in tournament history. Coach Jim Harrick has called it the defining moment of his career, and he coached for 23 seasons.

The tourney run

First round

(1) UCLA 92, (16) Florida International 56

Boise, Idaho (March 17)—All 12 Bruins scored in this rout.

Second round

(1) UCLA 75, (8) Missouri 74

Boise, Idaho (March 19)—Mizzou fans, look away. ... OK, this was the setting: Second round of the tournament. Only 4.8 seconds left. Missouri led, 74-73. UCLA had the ball out of bounds. Edney took the inbounds pass, dribbled the ball three times on the run, dribbled it behind his back once, dribbled it two more times with his right hand, exploded through the lane and softly threw the ball off the backboard and into the hoop. The buzzer sounded. Game over. Players stormed the court. After that one-point nail-biter, UCLA rolled to the championship, winning its final four games by a combined 49 points.

West Region semifinals

(1) UCLA 86, (5) Mississippi State 67

Oakland (March 23)—There would be no more underestimating of opponents.